Stockland Green Road
Speldhurst
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN3 0TU
Profile Strength |
Excellent 91%
![]() |
---|---|
Care Type | Care Home |
Care Category | Respite | Residential |
Availability | Yes |
Weekly Prices From | £925.00 |
Regulator's Rating | Good |
Claire Davis is Home Manager at Birchwood House Rest Home.
Claire has worked in a caring environment for over 30 years and has been a Registered Care Home Manager for 13 years. She loves being part of care home family life and sees this as her second family. She loves spending time with residents, getting to know them, their past lives and experiences and stories that they have to tell.
At Birchwood, we offer a beautiful home for the elderly, enabling our residents to live an enriched life.
We don't have clients, we have residents. Our food is home cooked. Our fabulous building retains its air of being a family home. And we laugh and celebrate together, as a family.
Based in Speldhurst, we are independent and family-owned and have been offering outstanding care to the elderly for over 30 years. Birchwood House is a former manor house set within nine acres of stunning grounds, boasting some of the best views in the area.
Our dedicated, qualified and experienced staff support residents enabling them to live as fulfilling lives as possible, by providing a safe environment and a variety of activities to engage, entertain and stimulate them.
Birchwood House has a busy and vibrant atmosphere with visitors welcome at any time. It has a family feel and each resident is treated with dignity and respect.
Care Options | We Can Provide |
---|---|
Support For | Companionship, Convalescence, End of Life, Independent Living, Palliative, Personal care. |
Disability Support | Hearing Impairment, Physical Disability, Physically Frail, Speech Impairment, Visual Impairment, Walking Frame, Wheel Chair Bound. |
Medication | By Mouth. |
Nursing Specialisms | Parkinson's Disease. |
Type Of Dementia | Mild Dementia. |
Dementia Specialisms | Vascular Dementia. |
Respite Care | Yes |
Autumna has invited care providers to evidence the infection control measures they are carrying out, above and beyond those laid out by the government, in order to keep residents, staff and visitors safe.
Infection Control Initiatives in place | ||
---|---|---|
![]() |
Infection Control Training | Our staff are trained to use measures which prevent and control infections. |
![]() |
Infection Screening | We are using technology to screen for infections & monitor symptoms. |
![]() |
Regulatory Assessment | We have been assessed by the care regulator in our approach to infection control. |
![]() |
Virus Testing | We are testing for viral infection when symptoms present within our care setting. |
Safe Visiting Space | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Connectivity for resident testing, monitoring & communications |
---|
Infection control and the safety of both residents and staff often requires quarantine measures and the isolation of care home residents. To test, monitor and allow residents to communicate with relatives, the prevalence of room-level connectivity within the home is becoming increasingly relevant. Wireless Internet access (WiFi) The Care Organisation has not indicated availability Mobile Phone Network Coverage (mobile “signal”) The Care Organisation has not indicated availability Telephone for external calling The Care Organisation has not indicated availability |
Social media provides an up to date window on the activities within a provider's setting.
With the restrictions on visiting during the pandemic, social media platforms such as these offer real insight when you are choosing a provider.
Our Building and Facilities |
---|
|
Is Our Home Purpose Built |
---|
No |
The Year Our Home Was Built |
---|
1 Jan 1841 |
How Many Floors We Have |
---|
3 |
Who Owns Our Building |
---|
Private |
Communal Rooms |
---|
Conservatory, Dining Rooms, Sitting Rooms, TV Lounges. |
What Else Do We Provide |
---|
Assisted Bathroom, Chiropodist, GP, Hairdressers. |
Our Garden |
---|
Communal Garden, Communal Patio, Private Garden(s), Scenic Views, Seating, Secure Garden, Sensory Garden. |
How 'Smart' Are We? |
---|
Reduce Plastic Use. |
Brochures |
---|
NEW Birchwood House brochure for web copy.pdf |
Our Photos |
---|
Description |
---|
Our 31 bedrooms – including some double rooms for married couples – are mostly south and west facing with views over the glorious High Kent Weald. Although each bedroom is different and individually decorated, they all have en-suite toilets and hand basins. Residents can personalise their rooms with their own furniture and treasured possessions, such as photographs and pictures. The shower and bathrooms include specially adapted equipment, so even those with restricted mobility can bathe at leisure. There is a lift to all floors. |
About Our Rooms | |
---|---|
Number Of Rooms | 38 |
Number Of Ensuite Rooms | 38 |
Type Of Room |
---|
Double Room, Single Room. |
Room Features |
---|
Furnished, Garden View, Step Free Access. |
Room Facilities |
---|
Alarm, Secure Access. |
Our Photos |
---|
Description |
---|
Claire Tye – Deputy Manager I’ve worked in the care industry for 21 years. I’ve now been here for 5 years and never looked back. My first impression of Birchwood was it was warm and friendly. My role involves overseeing the running of the home in the absence of the manager, to support our wonderful staff and residents ensuring that all care delivered is of the highest possible standard. Working at Birchwood is more personal than other places I’ve worked. We have beautiful surroundings with a good team of people who are warm friendly. |
Our Team |
---|
![]() Amanda MarshActivities Co-ordinatorI previously worked for Birchwood’s Domiciliary care in the community. I took a break from care for a few years but have come back in a new position which I love, life is never dull in the home with each day always different and I have really enjoyed getting to know all the residents. I am responsible for the day to day entertainment in the home and also keep families updated about the life in the home in a newsletter each month. ![]() Anne JonesChefHaving attended catering college and lots of experience at various catering establishments I joined Birchwood House in 2012. I am responsible for the running the kitchen, creating delicious nutritional breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Bakery experience lends to delightful cakes for afternoon tea. Cooking at Birchwood is home from home but with a much bigger family. ![]() Bev HitchmanHousekeeperI came to work at Birchwood House in 1992 and started as a weekend kitchen assistant. I have had many roles at Birchwood from cleaning to working as part of the night staff and I am now the housekeeper. It gives me great satisfaction to knowing the house is clean tidy and running to high standards. The only time I left Birchwood House was to have my three lovely daughters but I have always returned with joy to be back. Birchwood House is a great place to work and has such a great family atmosphere. ![]() Claire DavisHome ManagerClaire has worked in a caring environment for over 30 years and has been a Registered Care Home Manager for 13 years. She loves being part of care home family life and sees this as her second family. She loves spending time with residents, getting to know them, their past lives and experiences and stories that they have to tell. ![]() Claire TyeDeputy ManagerI’ve worked in the care industry for 21 years. I’ve been at Birchwood for 5 years and never looked back. I’ve always enjoyed working in smaller homes that are not purpose-built. Working at Birchwood is more personal than other places I’ve worked. The benefits of working here are working in lovely surroundings with a good team of people, as well as the training and support I’ve been offered to further my career. Working in care is a rewarding career in itself but working with the Birchwood team who are warm friendly and motivating makes going to work that little bit better. When I tell people about my job the response I normally get is you must find it so rewarding and I do. ![]() Dionne HickmottTeam LeaderDionne first started working in care in 2010. She had been cleaning for a gentleman who developed dementia. His family arranged for carers to look after him but he locked them out and told them to go away. The family approached her and asked if she would consider caring for him. 10 years later and Dionne hasn’t looked back. She is still very passionate about her job and delivers a high quality of care. She loves the fact that she is able to make a difference to people’s lives and enjoys the challenges that come with the job and learning new skills every day. ![]() Ian HitchmanMaintenanceI came to Birchwood House in April 2019 after over 30 years in the building industry I wanted a change. I now look after the day to day running of the maintenance and gardening, from redecorating to tending to the grounds. I enjoy talking to the residents about their pasts and love hearing the stories, I enjoy working with a great team. ![]() MichaelaTeam LeaderMy name is Michaela and I have worked in hospitals in the Kent area for nearly nine years, working up from a domestic to senior support worker. I worked in different areas of the hospital from A&E to Dementia wards and I came to Birchwood House in March 2017 as a Team leader. ![]() Niral PatelOwnerHi Everyone, We’ve been successful at Birchwood in ensuring our residents and staff continue to live and work in a safe and secure environment. My staff deserve my heartfelt thanks and huge credit in delivering a first class, personal service to all our residents and homecare clients. We’ve continued safe and secure family visits for our residents too, with up to 3 visits scheduled every day in our secure meeting area. With alignment to all government and health guidelines, our residents have been able to stay in contact with their nearest and dearest. Very early on it occurred to me how integral it was for the residents’ wellbeing to maintain face to face contact. It’s certainly helped to maintain high spirits for all and we hope to do everything we can to continue these in the weeks and months ahead. ![]() Teresa EdwardsSenior CarerI started caring in 1987 after my boyfriend’s mother offered me a job as a care assistant in her care home. 33 years later I haven’t looked back. I have seen many changes over the years and all have improved the lives of the elderly in care homes. I like to go above and beyond for the residents I support, taking the time to give that little extra touch of care, like helping with shopping when needed. I am good at connecting with the residents and I can pick up when they are not feeling well or there is something worrying them. Everyone I support feel like they are my own family and they like to call me the whistler. |
Weekly Fees Start From | Fee |
---|---|
Residential Fees From / Price Per Week | £925.00 |
Funding Types | |
---|---|
Local Authority | Kent |
Region | South East |
We Accept Self-Funding Clients | Yes |
We Accept Local Authority Funding | Yes |
We Accept NHS Continuing Healthcare | Yes |
We Accept Local Authority funding with a Third Party Top-Up | Yes |
Choice Dining is a food-focused accreditation designed to give care-seekers like yourself the ability to consider and compare the dining experience within different care settings.
To be awarded the Choice Dining badge, a care home will have committed to delivering exceptional dining experiences with a strong focus on preference, individuality, hygiene and the environment. You can explore the specifics of all participating homes in the tab below to learn more about the food on offer, how it is served and presented and what they’re doing to cater for your personal taste. For more information about Choice Dining please click here.
Styles of Food |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
---|---|
Our Photos |
Activities Are So Important |
---|
REGULAR ACTIVITIES TO STIMULATE WELLBEING AND MENTAL ENGAGEMENT We have regular visits from expert professionals who run activities designed to promote mental engagement and wellbeing. There is general noise and nonsense during the weekly ‘Music For Health’ sessions, while the structured reminiscences run by a qualified therapist encourage the residents to talk about the past, often by engaging them with themes tied in with current events, such as Wimbledon or the arrival of a new royal baby. One of our staff members, who has a real flair for engaging the residents and encouraging interaction between them, has two days per week set aside to run activities. She is guided by what the residents want to do – favourites include board games, playing with balloons and crafts. She is currently creating life books with each of them, researching and recording their life history and family. We provide regular excursions to places of interest for our residents. Highlights have included trips to the beach at Hastings, Hever Castle, Hadlow College, Teapot Island and garden centres. Favourite destinations often include beautiful gardens and a cream tea! |
Our Photos |
---|
Activities At Home |
---|
1 to 1 Activities, Animal Petting, Birthday Celebrations, Board Games, Card Games, Crafts, Crosswords, Excursions, Exercise Class, Flower Arranging, Gardening, Music Entertainment, Painting, Pet Therapy, Quiz Games, Reminiscence, Singing, Word Games. |
Activities Outside Our Home |
---|
Garden Centre, Local Tourist Attractions, Park, Shopping. |
Can You Bring Your Pet |
---|
No |
Stockland Green Road
Speldhurst
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN3 0TU
Current Ratings | |
---|---|
Overall | Good |
Safe | Good |
Well Led | Good |
Caring | Good |
Responsive | Good |
Effective | Good |
Inspection Reports | |
Last inspected | 1st March 2021 |
Last rated | 11th September 2018 |
Reports | |
Registration Date | 31st January 2011 |
Service Provider | Malvirt Limited, NW4 4HP |
Transport |
---|
Car Park on-site. |
Places of Worship |
---|
Catholic Church. |
Nearby Services |
---|
Pub, Restaurant, Shops. |
12,363
Care Homes
12,802
Home Care Services
498
Live-in Care Services
1,843
Retirement Living Developments
Autumna is the UK's largest and most comprehensive later-life living & elderly care directory. Our detailed search facility and team of expert advisors can help you find the best care homes, nursing homes, retirement homes, retirement villages, home care, and live-in care services for you or your loved one's needs. Our website is free to use, we are proudly independent, and we never take referral fees.